Decoy.



No. 694,732. Patented Mar 4, 1902;

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(Appliation mm Dec. 17, 1901.)

(No Model.)

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. .UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC Josnrn cocoon, or AIKEN, MARYLAND.

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0:694}? 32, dated March4, 1902.

Application filed December 17, 1901. Serial No. 86,272. (No model.)

To (Ll/5 whont 212$ ntrty concern..-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH OOUDON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Aiken, in the county of Cecil and State of Maryland, haveinvented certain new. and useful Improvements in Decoys, of which thefollowing small space for packing or transportation and which may bespread out to hold several decoys floating in the water in life-likeposition with respect to each other.

The invention consists in certain constructions, arrangements, andcombinations of the partshereinafter fully described and claimed,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is aperspective view of the decoy device with the decoys spread out as theyappear in practical use. Fig; 2 is an inverted plan View of the devicewith the decoys spread out. Fig. 3 is a similar view with the severaldecoys folded against each other for convenience in packing andtransportation. Fig. 4 is a detail view of one of the links employed toconnect the several decoys.

Referring to the drawings, the letter a. designates a decoy, of whichthere are three shown in the present instance, each com posedofacomparativelynarrow strip of wood or other suitable material shapedand painted to represent a duck in side view. 7

The three decoys a shown are adj ustably and foldably connected togetherat their lower edges by means of links I) 0, each of which is providedwith two laterally-extending ends, as shown in Fig. 4, which penetratethe lower edges of every two adjoining decoys, and thus pivotally holdthe links to the decoys with friction sufiicient to prevent accidentalmovement of one decoy-duck with respect to another. Each decoy a isconnected to the one next adjoining by two of these links, whose endsare secured in the lower edge of the decoys and are spaced apart in thedirection of the length of the-latter, as

- indicated in Figs. 2 and 3, wherebythe sew eral decoys may be spreadout more or less or folded against each other, as illustrated in Fig. 3,for convenience in packing or transportation. The forward link 0 isslightly shorter than the rear link 1:, and those ends of each pair oflinks that are secured to the middle decoy are farther apart than theother ends. By this construction when the'decoys are spread for use thebodies of the two outside'decoys take an oblique'position with respectto the middle decoy, as shown in Fig. 2. This relative position isadvantageous, be-

cause the decoys in whatever position they may assume in the water willpresent a side view of one or more of the decoys to the eye of thesportsman. not hinder the decoys from taking the closelyfolded position,(seen in Fig. 3,) because the links will yield sufficiently on a littlepressure being. applied to permit this.

The decoys are of course intended to float with their bodies in verticalposition on their comparatively narrow lower edges, as indicated in Fig.1, and it is to be especially noted in this connection that one decoyforms a support or outrigger for the other, and all are thus preventedfrom toppling over on their sides.- Hence in some of the appended claimsI have used the term support to cover equivalents of one or more of thedecoys illustrated, as I believe the scope of the invention warrantssuch use.

iVhile the accompanying drawings illustrate the improved decoy devicecomprising three decoys adjustably and foldably connected together, asbefore described, yet it is manifest that two or a greater number thanthree may be so connected.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A decoy device, comprisinga support; a decoy; andtwo links each ofwhich has one end pivotally connected to the support and Thisconstruction does IOO 10 each pair being of unequal length, whereby whenthe decoys are spread apart'the bodies of the two outside decoys willtake an oblique position with respect to the middle decoy, as and forthe purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature 15 in the presence of twowitnesses.

JOSEPH COUDON.

\Vitnesses:

CHARLES E. MANN, J r., FREDERICK S. STITT.

